Saturday, February 25, 2012

Interpreting Archaeology

In the above mentioned class of mine, we have "small group sessions" where a handful of us will meet in a small classroom and discuss interesting things. My favourite week, I believe, is when we discussed - and handled! - the mysterious stone carved balls from the Neolithic. These are Scottish, and they are a complete mystery. No one knows what their purpose, symbolism, etc. was. But we all found, in handling them, that they were extremely compelling, and none of us wanted to put them down again. They range from simply decorated, to complex with carvings etc.

In a later week, we had the assignment to prepare a drawing, or a model, of Stonehenge. If you selected the drawing option, you had to make up what you think the ancient people who built Stonehenge got up to. I chose the drawing option, as I am an indifferent but not completely dreadful artist. But I really was at a loss as to what people did in Stonehenge. I didn't want to go with any outlandish theories, but I came up with something to do with light and shadow, day and night, life and death, and perhaps they used the gaps in the stones as the light, and the stones and the shadows as the dark. Anyway, here's my drawing, for what it's worth!
Why I didn't stick with art in university!

2 comments:

  1. I sure like the handsome gentleman holding the skull! And what the heck is the deal with those balls?! (That sounds a little funny.) Are there any theories?

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  2. Yes, those balls are very compelling! I wish I could hold one!

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